Go grassy

Containers with ornamental grasses provide easy-care drama. For greater impact, combine different textures, heights, colors and plumes. These tough plants will still look great at the end of the season. In containers such as this one, the flowers hide the base of the grass and can be switched out as blooms fade.

Tabletop display

A granite remnant elevates and unifies a collection of pots on this side table. (Stone suppliers often discount the small pieces left over from cutting countertops.) Choose one large plant—in this case, the swooping spruce—as a focal point, then surround it with smaller plants that also have intriguing silhouettes. From left: Japanese holly, aloe, ‘Skylands’ oriental spruce and agave.

Triple play

Follow this three-part plan for lush containers. Begin with a “thriller,” an upright star player such as this calla lily. Next, add in one or two complementary “fillers,” which can include foliage or flowering plants like lantana and geraniums. Finish with a “spiller”—in this case livingstone daisy ‘Mezoo Trailing Red’—that cascades over the edge.

Stylish shapes

Basic geometric forms become affordable building blocks to a stylish landscape. Here, concrete and granite orbs (and even bowling balls) echo rounded plants such as ornamental kales and coleus topiaries. Big-leaf tropical plants like elephant’s ear cut a striking figure in a large, bright ceramic pot. The homeowner didn't want to close off the property with a traditional privacy fence, so he assembled planks and posts into a few rectangular screens and strategically placed them by his side yard and back dining area.

Raised beds

Ten manhole risers from a local concrete pipe company create an unusual twist to the typical raised bed. The homeowner rolled the 2x36-inch rings into place and stacked them five-high (no mortar required). The beds hold tomatoes, kale, peppers, sorrel, basil and parsley. In winter, you can fill the bare spots with castaway Christmas trees.

Made for shade

Give shady areas of your yard bursts of color and texture. This shady container may not need watering as often as your sun pots. Feel the soil or use a monitor before you water so you don't drown the roots. Water should not stand inside the container. Our pot uses:

Containment policy

Ohio garden designer Kevin Reiner likes to plant some containers with single species, such as warm green honeysuckle, to help them stand out. But he also teams his go-to pink impatiens with green trailers for contrast. Kevin likes the visual impact of large, ornate and unusually shaped containers.

Sunshine garden

Add drama to your yard with plants that happily bask in the sun. Give these plants at least six hours of sunlight every day. Use curly willow twigs or a small, decorative trellis to support the mandevilla. Plant list:

All in a row

Unify your landscaping by repeating color and shape with similar or identical containers. This technique is especially effective along a path or on a long wall such as the one at left. The containers hold a purple-leaf coleus and creeping Jenny (Lysimachia 'Goldilocks').

Splashes of color

This bright and fresh combo exudes charm. Echeveria 'Perle Von Nurnberg' pops in its surrounding of the lime-green Plectranthus 'Limelight'. And purple petunias and pink blossoms crown the arrangement with a touch of sweetness.

Good companions

Container designs should have plants with the same sun, soil and water requirements. Good companions include a variety of sedums and other succulents. The larger container at left features 'Bon Bon' (Sedum reflexum) for height with 'Angelina' (Sedum rupestre) and hens and chicks (Sempervivum) to fill. More 'Angelina' is in a companion pot.

Tall accent

For extra drama in a pot, use plants of varying heights. The spiky, red leaves of Cordyline ‘Crimson Star’ rise above the star-shape flowers of ‘Graffiti Violet’ geranium. Supertunia Watermelon Charm gracefully spills over the edge. This arrangement does well in full sun.

Informal summer planting

Trailing vines, willow branches, creeping myrtle and fountaingrass give a relaxed, flowing feel to this container garden, created in a 24-inch galvanized-metal tub. For a more formal summer planting, see the next slide.

Easy-care succulents

Succulents are a snap to grow and need almost no care. Most succulents prefer full sun, well-drained soil and good air circulation. Use a potting mix designed specifically for succulents or cacti. Water potted succulents regularly during the growing season, but don't overwater. Always water the plants at their base instead of overhead. Feed succulents monthly with a balanced plant food.

Both containers in the photo hold Echeveria spp.; the one in the front also has cobweb houseleek (Sempervivum arachnoideum) trailing over the side.

Multiple choice

This succulent planting combines Echeveria spp. with various types of hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum spp.) in a sleek black metal container. You can choose from more than 40 species of hens-and-chicks to vary your look. A few smooth stones between plants give this combination a rocky, organic effect.

Exotic alliance

Pair a tropical bulb--large-leaf imperial taro (Colocasia esculenta 'Illustris')--with scarlet plume (Euphorbia fulgens) in a 30-inch container. The result: An amazing addition to your landscape, so big it could even be used to divide sections of an outdoor room.

Petite presence

When you've got a small plant, using it in a tabletop container lets you bring it to eye level where it can be better appreciated. Here, hyacinths take the spotlight. Placing them up close means you can appreciate their fragrance better, too.